Lissa
by Rowan4
Summary: Short story of what I would like to have happened following Season 6
1. A Visitor

  
DISCLAIMER: All characters portrayed, except Lissa are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.  
TIMEFRAME: Set after Season 6 - I haven't seen any of Season 7, because I live in the U.K.  


TITLE: Lissa

  


AUTHOR: Rowan

  
CHAPTER 1 - A VISITOR  
The Magic Shop looked like a bomb had hit it. At the very least, a whirlwind. The ceiling looked ready to fall down. There was rubble everywhere, books were strewn about the extremely dusty floor. It was what you'd expect considering what had taken place here between a witch-gone-bad and the Slayer. 'At least', thought Giles, 'the place was still standing.'  
He stood in the middle of the shop, leaning heavily on a cane as he surveyed the damage, his face cut and bruised. Three days before, the world could have ended, again. It had been averted, though not by the Slayer this time, but by Xander and his love of Willow, his best friend.  
"What a mess," said the all too familiar voice from behind him. Giles turned slowly, taking in the sight of Buffy, stood by the door, her sister, Dawn a little behind her.  
"Quite," he murmured, taking off his glasses for a quick polish, before putting them back on.  
"Best get started clearing this mess up then," Buffy said walking into the shop. He noticed then that she had on her dungarees, her sister was wearing a similar pair, they looked ready and able.  
Throughout that day, between the three of them, they began clearing up the debris, storing the salvageable items in boxes, which they took down to the basement. At around 4pm, Giles had managed to get the phone working and was busy talking speaking the phone, getting quotes for the repairs to the building itself, when Xander walked in. He took one look at the situation, "better get my tools," he murmured, going back to his car, stepping back as a delivery man arrived.  
"Is there a Mr Rupert Giles here?" The delivery man looked hopefully at Xander. He indicated Giles, sat at the circular table, next to the bookcases, before jogging out to his car.  
Giles duly signed the receipt for a large, oblong box, wrapped in brown paper, then sat it on the table, dubiously looking for the return address, there was none. Buffy was also looking at the package with curiosity.  
"Whatcha order Giles?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.  
"What? Oh nothing, maybe something Anya ordered while I was away," he started unwrapping the box, meticulously preserving the wrapping for use at a later time. Inside was a plain cardboard box, and he lifted the lid and gasped. Buffy leaned over to see.  
"Wow, a sword," she stated with obvious boredom.  
"Not just any sword Buffy," he lifted out the sword carefully, sheathed in a tooled leather scabbard. Carefully, he tried to make sense of the writings worked carefully into the scabbard.  
"What does it say?" Buffy was restless, "hey there's something else in there!" She lifted out a soft beige suede pouch, opened the drawstring carefully and poured the contents on the table. Eight strange stones scattered across, the table, four white, four black.  
"Buffy, put them back," Giles almost shouted, backing away from them, "they're wards, dangerous and magical." Quickly Buffy scooped them up and put them back in the pouch, acting like they were hot coals.  
"Who'd send us these?" Xander had walked in and was staring at the sword and pouch nervously. Buffy reached forward and took the sword out of the box again. As she tried to pull the sword out of the scabbard, a jolt of violet light snaked out of the hilt. Yelping, she dropped the sword.  
"Ow! That Hurt!" Lifting it gingerly, Giles put it back on the box.  
"I thought it was a gift, sent by the council," Giles stated, sitting down, "apparently not. Nor would it seem to be for any of us." He replaced the lid on the box and went over to the safe, behind the counter, opened it and placed the box inside carefully.  
"Well, back to work," Buffy said, jumping up and quickly looking at her watch, "well, wrong work, I'm due at the Happy Burger in half an hour, so I gotta fly. Come on Dawn, lets go. Later Giles." "Goodbye Buffy," Giles stated, evidently distracted, as Buffy and Dawn rushed out of the shop, heading home. He sat back down, deep in thought, suddenly standing, then hobbling quickly to the steps, almost running up them in his haste. He scanned the bookshelves, before deciding on a thick leather-bound volume, before settling down on the stool nearby to read. Its title, Mythical Creatures and Magical Legends.  
Two hours later, he dropped the book in shock, "oh Lord." He looked around, carefully, before picking it up to read the passage again. Then, marking the page carefully, tucked the book under one arm, his cane over the other, before slowly climbing back down.  
He carefully took the sword and pouch out of the safe again, checking against the volume laid open on the counter-top, before quickly putting the box away again and reaching for the phone. As he did so, Anya orbed into the shop.  
"Giles, hi, what's happening?" She took a look at this concerned frown, before walking over and scanning the book, still laid open on the counter, "Dawn? It's Giles, yes is Buffy back yet? Well, when she does, tell her she must get to the Magic Shop straight away, there may be trouble. Yes, thank you, and I think you ought to get her now, give Xander a call, tell him to bring you in his car." He listened to the answer from Dawn, "no, I'll go and get Buffy myself," took in Anya's appearance, "Anya, would you mind staying here and waiting for the others to arrive, don't let anyone else in, please?" Anya looked at Giles weirdly.  
"But Giles, you don't…." He never heard the rest of what she said, because he was out the door and getting into his car.  
Twenty minutes, later, the whole Scooby Gang was assembled, including an obviously doped-up Willow, sat around the table, the cardboard box in the centre. Anya looked at each of them, as she surveyed the table - itching to make a statement, but never getting a word in edgeways.  
"So you think someone sent us this sword and bag for safekeeping?" Buffy stated.  
"That would appear to be the case, its quite ancient and an extremely powerful weapon, Buffy, only wielded by one person for one reason." Giles looked around the table.  
"And that is?" Buffy looked at his questioningly. "I believe this is the sword of the Elven Kings, Buffy," Giles stated, his eyes not straying from the box.  
"Like Elves? Come on Giles, Fairy Tales now? You've got to be kidding, right?" Buffy looked at him dubiously, "next you'll be saying that fairies exist, or even Leprechauns, come on!"  
"I have checked, but we're limited, as none of us can take the sword out of the scabbard to verify its markings. You'll just have to trust me on this." Giles looked again at the sword, "and in the meantime, we need to place a guard on this sword. Who knows who'll come looking for it, it's magic is extremely strong.  
"I can feel it Giles," Willow murmured, her eyes never leaving the box on the table, "its drawing me, asking me to touch it!" Giles jumped up.  
"Willow, stay away, you're too unstable at present, p-p-please stay away from it. It could be dangerous for you in your current er condition," Giles said, alarmed. Anya, sighing, looking flustered, said , "is anyone going to hear what I have to say on this? After all, I am over one thousand years old, and do know about it?" Giles looked up at her, a furious looking vengeance demon.  
"You're right about one thing Giles, it's the Sword of the Elven Kings, " she started, "but you're wrong about it needing to be guarded, it has it's own protection. No-one can touch it but the Elven Royalty, not even you Buffy. No demon or anything else, is going to want to touch it. It will poison them if they try to use it." Giles looked at her dubiously, before checking back to his book.  
"Well it appears Anya is correct about this," he stated, "however, I still feel we are missing something here."   
" Like who would send it here and why?" Buffy said.  
At that instant, there was a glimmer of light, in the middle of the shop. Xander saw it first, and gesticulated wildly, mumbling incoherently. Buffy ran across, shielding her eyes from the glare, but at the ready to fight whatever was orbing in. Slowly the light grew, changing to a bright lilac, with flickers of brighter lilac seeming to fall down within it. Its slow pulse increased, the Scoobies shielding their eyes against the increasing brightness.  
Abruptly, the light vanish and in its' wake, a figure crumpled up in a heap on the floor.  



	2. A Visitor

Lissa

  


By Rowan

  
Chapter 2  
Buffy, being closest, crouched down next to the figure. It appeared human, at least. However, the clothes it wore, a muddy brown tunic and tights, 'obviously not someone from this dimension' thought Buffy. The figure groaned and opened its eyes, staring straight into the cool green eyes of the Slayer. It spoke, a deep, but feminine voice, "ow, my head. Sending you back, they said, help them, they said. How about fixing me first, I say."  
It was a she, and she sat up, slowly, her eyes not leaving those of the Slayer, who stared right back.  
The woman looked down at herself, "oh great, dress me up like a Robin Hood extra why don't you." Buffy smiled at the comment, Dawn giggled. Again, the woman looked at Buffy, "help me up Slayer." Buffy looked puzzled at the reference to her job, but offered her hand anyway. Curiosity getting the better of her. The woman stood, and looked around, wincing, she moved her hand to her left side, where a large gash rent her clothing and skin, seeping deep purple blood.  
'Obviously not quite human,' thought Buffy, helping her to a chair by the table. The others looked on with trepidation.  
"You know who I am," Buffy stated, "but who, or rather what, are you?"  
"Lissa," she stated shortly, wincing again as her hand pressed to her side. Giles rushed to the back of the shop, disappearing into the training room, to appear moments later with a first aid kit.  
"May I take a look?" He asked, opening the tin. She nodded assent and tore into the side of the tunic, exposing a deep wound, about five inches long, with black tendrils creeping out of the gash. Buffy blanched, having seen wounds like this before.  
"Looks nasty miss or mrs or…?" She stated.  
"Just Lissa," her questioning gaze met the frank violet ones of the wounded woman.  
"You need a hospital, er healer," Giles stated, placing gauze and tape over the wound.  
"No healers, too many questions, like what am I? Anyway, they can't help, it's fatal." She said is matter of factly and Anya, stood away from the table, gasped.  
"Lissa?" Warily, she walked around the table towards the woman, who seemed to recognise her.  
"Anyanka? Someone here to seek vengeance on, or just out for a bit of mayhem?" The statement was bitter.  
"I don't do that any more, I help people." Anya stated firmly. "Right on, and next you'll tell me you've got a house, a car and couple of cats," again the bitter comment.  
"You still haven't told me what you are?" Buffy butted in, aware of the tension between the stranger and Anya.  
"Lissa, last of the Elves." Lissa stated, looking round the table. Anya smiled and nodded at the Scoobies. She had obviously known all along. She woman pulled long wavy brown hair back and pushed it behind her ears, pointed ears. Giles and the rest of the Scoobies stared, open mouthed at her. Buffy merely raised her eyebrows.  
"Now I truly have seen it all. An Elf," she looked at Lissa and gestured to the box, "and I take it that the sword in here," she opened the box, taking out the sword and pouch, "and this pouch, is yours." Lissa's expression showed pure relief, as she reverently accepted the sword and pouch. Quickly she strapped the sword to her back and the pouch to her belt.  
"My thanks to you, Slayer. It is indeed mine." She withdrew the sword, its metal glinting in the electric light, displaying the etchings on the blade. The scoobies crept closer, Willow reaching her hand towards the sword.  
"Back witch, you are tainted!" Lissa swept the sword round, its point poised at Willow's throat.  
"whoa there Elf lady," Xander stepped between Willow and the sword. "She's getting better."  
"Kill her or clean her then, or she'll be of no use to us whatsoever," Lissa seemed almost vicious in her statement, care seemed to have left this Elf a long time since.  
"What do you mean, clean her or kill her?" Giles was looking askance at the Elf.  
"She's tainted, has bad magic within her. Get rid of it or her, or it will out and kill you all," Lissa stated again.  
"Oookay," Xander said, "clean her how? But if you try and kill her, I'll get in your way." Xander's tone was deadly as he stood between his best friend and the stranger.  
"You don't know how, do you?" Lissa said, matter of factly. "I'll do it then, but not now, now I need to rest. Tomorrow will be fine. In the meantime, she stays here with me. She's too dangerous." Xander stepped in front of an obviously scared Willow.  
"Then I stay too," he said.  
"As you wish."  
  
"I think I had better stay also." Giles looked askance at the Elf. "No need, I will set up wards." 'Wards,' Buffy thought, 'again with these wards, what is she going on about?'  
"Very well, come along Buffy, Dawn, Anya, let us leave this Lissa to rest here. We'll meet here again tomorrow morning," Giles looked at his watch, "about 7, alright with you?"  
"Gotta patrol first, Giles," Buffy stated.  
"Very well, report back tomorrow as early as you like," Giles stated. Buffy raised her eyebrows at this, before walking out the door, herding Dawn in front of her.  
As soon as the door had closed behind them, Lissa turned and faced Xander and Willow.   
"We'll sleep at the back," Xander stated, "there are mats there." Lissa nodded assent before reaching for the pouch of stones at her waist. Quickly, she opened it , pouring out the small oddly coloured stones into her palm. Then she began walking towards the corner nearest the front door. With a whisper, she laid down the first stone, a black one in the corner, then repeated the movement at the other three corners of the building. She started again, this time with the white stones, repeating the whole procedure again. Then, she moved to the centre of the building, by the table, whispered another chant and clapped her hands together. Xander and Willow watched, worried looks on their faces, as the stones by the front door slid together and melted into one single grey block.  
"The wards are set, no one may enter or leave until the wards are disabled," Lissa stated to Xander, ignoring Willow completely.  
*****************************************************************************  
Hi there, am still writing chapter 3, where things are getting a bit more interesting. Please, please send some feedback. I like to know that what I've written is being read. BFN .... Rowan  



	3. Cleansing

CHAPTER 3

  


CLEANSING

  
Xander woke up to the sound of heavy objects being moved around. Slowly, he opened one eye, remembering the previous night's events, as they returned to him. He took in the crumpled figure of Willow on the mat next to him. Of the elf, Lissa, there was no sign, but the noise from the shop told him he would find her there. Carefully he got up, so as not to disturb Willow, who still appeared to be asleep. She would need more sedatives soon, or Evil Willow would try to resurface again.  
Cautiously, he approached the elf in the other room, "Er, Lissa, isn't it. I need to go out, get some pills for Willow? Those things, can I get past them now?" Slowly, the elf turned around, resting her violet gaze on him. "She won't need any pills," is was a statement.  
"I hate to prove you wrong there, but if that dark magic tried to get out again, well," he gestured the building around them, "this will probably crash and burn, just like us."  
"As I said," Lissa stated, "she won't need pills, and if Evil Willow, as you stated, gets out. I can handle her. Have no fear." With that she walked over to the table, where three earthenware pots were sat, along with a bowl of water and a bag of salt.  
"I'm hungry!" mumbled a sleepy-looking Willow, as she stumbled into the room. Carefully, giving the elf an extremely wide berth, she made her way to Xander's side.  
"What are those Xander?" she stared at the pots on the table, "I don't like the look of this." Lissa answered "for the cleansing," she gestured the pots "I need them to contain the magics I release from you, before I dispose of them."  
"Your wards are down, Lissa, thought I'd pop in with breakfast," she said nervously almost stumbling into the Magic Shop, Lissa, merely nodded her thanks before approaching the pots again.  
Carefully, Lissa dipped each of the pots into the water, in turn, then added salt to each pot, swirling it around to coat the inside. She reached behind the pots and did the same to three cork lids. Anya smiled and nodded. "I know what she's doing, she won't harm Willow. It's an old spell, been used for millennia to contain magic." Xander raised his eyebrows, "oookay, I don't really want to know about this."  
"Xander, back away from the elf. I can deal with her," Willow's voice again, stronger. He looked to see her eyes, blackened by the magic that was rising within her.  
y, and with a confidence no one else was feeling in the room at the time, Lissa turned and faced Willow, whose hair was slowly turning black again. Sparks were gathering at Willow's fingertips, like blue electricity. Black eyes met violet ones and the air charged up between the women, causing both Xander and Anya's hair to stand on end. Lissa began whispering, it seemed she was talking to herself, were it not for the fact that a breeze appeared from nowhere, ruffling her hair gently. A ball of blue erupted from Willow, aimed directly at the elf, but it never reached it's destination, merely hanging directly in front of Lissa. She seemed oblivious, her voice not above a whisper, as the wind between them increased velocity, like a mini tornado. With a scream, Willow launched three more balls of magical energy towards the elf, and once again they never reached their destination, hanging between the two opponents, frozen in mid air.  
Neither woman saw Buffy enter the magic shop, followed closely by Giles and Dawn, who ran into Giles due to his sudden stop. All three were in shock at the sight that had met them. Giles reached out and slowly drew Buffy backwards and against him. "Don't move," he whispered and felt her move her head in acknowledgement.  
He glanced back at Dawn, who was peering at the scene from behind his elbow. What they saw was an obvious magic battle, between two adept and skilled opponents. However, it appeared the elf had more than her fair share of ability, as she didn't seem to merely be stopping the balls of magic, but each ball was slowly dwindling down to a mere spark in front of their eyes. The wind picked up intensity between the two opponents again, this time blasting towards Willow, who screamed as it surrounded her, lifting her slowly off the floor, to suspend in the air. Gradually, Willow seemed to freeze, her arms and legs pinned straight, her eyes and hair gradually losing the blackness, before slowly she was lowered back to the floor, where she lost consciousness. As the wind dwindled back to nothing, Lissa stumbled backwards, holding her side, but still whispering, her eyes locked on Willow's form, then with a groan, she collapsed back against the counter, panting, "shit, that hurt," was all but gasped out, "thank the gods she doesn't really know how to use what she's got." Slowly the gang split up and got busy. Buffy quickly going over to Willow and Xander, who both seemed in a state of shock, in their own ways. Willow seemed unreachable, although now fully conscious. Xander was muttering,"how? She just whispered and ... poof!"  
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I know its a bit slow at present, it will pick up next chapter - enter Spike! My apologies re the first two, didn't realise what effect a text file entry has i.e. no paragraphing - R  



	4. Vampire

LISSA  
  
  
  
By Rowan  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 4 - VAMPIRE  
  
  
Lissa staggered slowly over to the nearest chair - by the old research table - and sat down with a groan, "okay, break now, cleanse, well - not now. Too tired." Giles appeared with the first aid box yet again, and removed the by now stained dressing stuck to the elf's side. He gagged when he saw how the poison had already spread since the previous evening. Dark tendrils of poison snaked from the raw jagged, wound, seeping slowly down the elf's side, her skin glistened with perspiration. Giles cleaned it as gently as he could, putting three large temporary plastic stitches over the wound, holding it closed, while he disinfected the remainder and then placed another dressing to cover the worst of it. His eyes caught Buffy's anxious stare, matching his concern.  
  
  
"I have to insist you get that wound looked at, er Lissa," Giles came over all overly parental at this point.  
  
  
"And I have to remind you that nothing can be done, Watcher," Lissa stated, a trace of bitterness in her tone.  
  
  
"But surely....." Giles began.  
  
  
"But nothing! It is a mortal wound. I am dying. My brain just won't face that fact yet." Her look brooked no argument, but she continued in a gentler tone,"there is nothing that can be done, let it be." With that she got up slowly and walked into the training room, laid back down on the training mats and fell asleep. The Scoobies seemed to shrug as one and turned their attention to Willow. Buffy, however, made to follow the elf, but was stopped by Giles' gentle hand on her shoulder.  
  
  
Willow, for herself, felt freer than she had for a long while. The magic that had controlled her seemed to have retreated following Lissa's powerful onslaught. Her mind seemed clearer, more focused, and with this came a sense of calm, of peace almost. She could see all her friends gathered round her, concern written all over their faces, and wanted to reassure them, but could not. Xander's and Buffy's faces swam in front of her, their lips moving but she could not discern the words. In her head was a litany from the strange elf that had come into their midst. It was barely above a whisper, but calmed and reassured her, telling her she would be fine, that the magic would be gone soon and she would soon be herself again.  
  
  
  
"I don't know about you guys," Xander said, turning away from Willow briefly ,"but I don't trust that, that elf, or whatever she is one bit."  
  
  
"Xander, I don't think she means any of us any harm," Giles started to defend her, but was cut off abruptly.  
  
  
"Any harm! Look what she's done to Willow, she's catatonic. And you say she's not hurt anyone?" Xander ranted.  
  
  
"Xander," Buffy walked over to the agitated young man, he tried to pull back. "Xander!" she grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt, her nose an inch from his. "She's no more catatonic now than when she was drugged up!" Angrily, she pushed Xander away, before stalking into the training room.   
  
  
She approached the elf slowly, trying not to disturb her rest. 'Why are you here?' Buffy thought to herself, 'how did you know to come, that we needed help?' She turned with a soft sigh, and walked slowly back into the shop, squaring her shoulders against another onslaught from Xander. Violet eyes watched her retreating back, 'because you needed me, Buffy.'   
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Things calmed down a little after that. Possibly because Xander had managed to eat at least a dozen of the doughnuts Anya had brought in, along with two cups of latte. Shortly after, Buffy left the rest of the gang to escort her sister to school. It was hard to believe that only an hour had passed before she had come across the battle in the magic shop. Time seemed to have stretched out. Anya kept up the mindless chatter, occasionly adding snippets of useful information about elves. Most of which Giles had managed to ascertain from his numerous books, along with a quick call back to England. Shortly after Buffy returned, just after 9am, Lissa staggered into the Magic Shop, looking rested but, her skin had seemed paler, more translucent. Buffy handed her a bag of clothes, "I thought you might like a change of clothing," she said, to a grateful nod, retreating to the training room to change.  
  
  
When she returned, she looked human, except for the ears. Dressed in a faded pair of jeans and t-shirt, but with her moulded suede boots and her hair held back in a plait, she looked like any other young woman in the room, almost. Immediately, she assembled the earthenware jars on the floor in front of Willow, then sat behind them legs crossed, motioning the other's to sit behind her in the same fashion. Her head dropped, her eyes closed in concentration. Immediately she began whispering. Again, a breeze seemed to appear from nowhere, dramatically increasing in intensity. Purple lightning forked out from the centre of the small tornado contained in between Willow and the elf, centring above the earthenware jars. Willow seemed to jerk, her whole body standing ramrod straight as she was drained of the magics obtained. Gradully, a mist rose around Willow, concentrating into a small glowing orb, black in colour. It moved into the middle jar and Lissa moved quickly, sealing it with a cork lid. She repeated the movement again as another mist left the witch, this time green in colour, which again disappeared into another jar. Three times this action was repeated. Finally, a white orb glowed between the two women, the fourth in succession. This time, with a point and a whisper it headed out the front window, through the glass and gained velocity, heading into the clouds above, then disappeared from view. Buffy watched the orb disappear before turning her attention back on her best friend and Lissa.  
  
  
The elf let out a deep sigh before stretching gently and standing up, "she's all yours," she gestured to a fully conscious Willow, sat on the chair facing them all.  
  
  
"Hi guys?" Willow said hesitantly. As one, they rushed towards her in a group hug, "I'm back."  
  
  
* * * *  
  
  
Giles moved apart from the group surrounding Willow, approaching the elf, almost hesitantly.  
  
  
"I don't know how to thank you, Lissa....." he began.  
  
  
"No need. I have done this before, a few times. It's not difficult," her reply was matter of fact.  
  
  
"But you could overtax yourself," he was obviously concerned.  
  
  
"Not really. It's just channelling magic, not using it, not using mine - not like earlier. When I bound her," Lissa spoke slowly, but clearly. 'She doesn't appear so tired, at least,' thought Giles. Wordlessly, he moved over to what was left of the doughnuts, bringing one over to her. Gratefully she accepted it and munched down, it was still quite fresh. Buffy pushed a cup of coffee across to her, "I don't know what to say?" she began, "what you did. It was, well, unbelieveable. No-one, not even Willow, could have managed that."  
  
  
"Buffy," Lissa looked across from her, still munching on her confection, "elves have inherent magic, born with it, are taught to use it almost as soon as they can walk. This is a walk in the park, nothing," she said dismissing her efforts, "and before you say anything about the orb that got away, don't worry. I merely sent it back to the coven it came from." Giles nodded in understanding, but his eyes were still questioning. "Watcher, I can see you have a million questions for me. Let's go somewhere and see if I can answer a few, yes?" Giles nodded, before graciously helping Lissa to her feet and escorting her to the back.  
  
  
Buffy wandered back to Willow, after Giles and Lissa disappeared to answer some of his questions. Willow was talking to Xander, he was reassuring her, as she was him. Anya stood by like an overprotective mother-hen type, nodding all the while. Of them all, only Anya actually knew of the elves, or at least appeared to, and Buffy wanted that information. She motioned Anya to come over, which she did reluctantly.  
  
  
"Okay, Anya, spit it out. I want a potted history of the pointed eared kind," Buffy seemed flustered.  
  
  
"I'll tell you all that I know, but I will say that I don't know everything. Elves have been in existence since, well since before humans, as far as I know...." she began. Xander and Willow seemed to pay attention to her, immediately, almost, actually looking like they wanted to hear what she had to say, for a change. Anya sat down at the research table, followed by Buffy and the remaining two scoobies. Slowly, Anya began to recant what she knew about elves.  
  
  
Halfway through the story, factual and humourless as Anya's stories were, Xander's beeper went off, and he immediately reached for the 'phone on the counter-top. After a short discussion, he returned to the group.  
  
  
"Sorry to muck up your story telling Anya, but I have to leave," he stated, "Principle needs me. Apparently there are weird noises coming from the basement at the school. I'll come by later, pick up Willow." Willow merely nodded, a half-smile on her face, waving to him as he headed out the door.  
  
  
"That's my queue to leave too, I suppose," Buffy responded, looking at her watch, "I have a counselling session in, aargh, twenty five minutes, gotta run." And with that, she headed out in the same direction as Xander, at a run.  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
Buffy bent over the desk, head in her hands. Why she ever thought that being a counsellor would be a good idea, she never knew. KIds today, they had more problems, more issues that she ever thought she had had, ever. The boy who left the room two minutes earlier had been grief stricken over the death of his mother. Buffy tried to relay to him that he was not the only one, that she would want him to go on, live the good life, get good grades, but at this point Ken, the boy in question was too buried in grief to even listen remotely to what was being said. She was interrupted by a knock on the door.  
  
  
"Buff?" it was Xander, "er, you are NOT going to believe what I found in the basement."  
  
  
"Giant mice?" Buffy joked.  
  
  
"Nope, guess again," Xander was almost hopping up and down at his discovery.  
  
  
"I give up, tell me," she was now curious.  
  
  
"Spike," Xander looked for the reaction on her face, but Buffy hid it well.  
  
  
"As in peroxide, vampire, leather duster Spike?" Buffy's voice was, to Xander, not excited, but almost eager.  
  
  
"The one, the only, but with a new twist,"  
  
  
"Huh?"  
  
  
"He's absolutely bonkers," Xander looked into her eyes, he saw, pity?  
  
  
"Show me."  
  
  
* * * *  
  
  
Am still writing, hope to have chapter 5 in this week sometime. Feedback - please. R 


	5. An Elf and a Vampire

Disclaimers: I don't own any character other than Lissa, she's aproduce of my over-active imagination.  
Setting: End of Season 6, I haven't seen any of season 7 yet because it's not being released in the UK until January. Can't wait.  
  
  
  
  
LISSA  
  
  
  
by Rowan  
  
  
CHAPTER 5 - HEALER  
  
  
  
Buffy followed Xander down into the basement of the school. It was cold and the lighting was poor. A faint dripping sound could be heard. Buffy shivered, a faint prickling at the back of her neck, warning her something was down here, something dark.  
  
  
As they walked along, a faint humming could be heard, then talking, laughing. They approached Spike, who was sat on a discarded school chair. He was humming and talking to himself. His eyes were dazed, but he was speaking to someone else in the room, apparently, someone they couldn't see.  
  
  
"I know, I'm bad, I'm a bad, bad man. I kill, I maim, I rape. I remember, remember you all. I know," with that diatribe, he swiftly got up and stalked over to the wall directly opposite from where he was seated. "Bad Will," he punched the wall, hard, "bad Spike," again, "bad man, bad man, bad, bad, bad, bad....." He repeatedly punched the wall, using his fists to emphasise each word. Buffy and Xander wincing with every blow he was making, watching the blood pour from his knuckles and fingers.  
  
  
  
"Spike?" Buffy said softly, then again louder, when it got no response, "SPIKE!"  
  
  
  
"Bad Spike, hurt Buffy, no Buffy," he looked away from her, but she saw the tortured ruin of his chest before he turned.   
  
  
  
"Xander, first aid kit," when Xander made no move, "now Xander." He hurried out of the basement.  
  
  
  
Slowly Buffy approached the obviously-disturbed vampire, "Spike, it's me, Buffy. I want to help you, you're hurt," he indicated his hands.   
  
  
  
"I'm not worthy, not worthy, go away, get out get out, get out..." his voice swiftly rose, Buffy turned and ran.  
  
  
  
*******  
  
  
  
She met Xander coming down the stairs, bring the asked-for first aid kit.  
  
  
  
"Forget it, Xander, he won't even let me near him," then choking back a sob ran back to her office, slamming and locking the door behind her. Leaving her next appointment waiting outside, totally confounded and dismayed.  
  
  
  
She picked up the phone and dialled, "Giles, its me," she listened on the other end for a while, "I'll ask him, but I need you to do me a favour....."  
  
  
  
*******  
  
  
School was over, a drugged up Spike was bundled up in a reflective blanket in the Watcher's car. All the windows were open, but still he managed to stink out Buffy and Xander, who had helped tranquilise him and manoevre him into the back seat.  
  
  
  
"Buffy, I think that while he's out, that Xander and I should bathe him and wash his clothes.." Buffy nodded assent, which the Watcher saw in the rear view mirror. They reached Buffy's house. Willow met them at the open door, standing back while Giles and Xander half-carried the unconscious vampire who was now beginning to smoke alarmingly, up to the bathroom. Both the men stripped him and dumped him under the shower, turning it on full, whilst Xander and Giles laborously cleansed every inch of him. They then wrapped him in one of Joyce's old dressing-gowns and carried him back down into the sitting room. Willow, in preparation, had closed all the curtains, sealing the edges with tape to ensure no daylight got through. Lissa was already seated in the carpet, and looked expectantly up at them.  
  
  
  
"Buffy," she looked at the figure sleeping peacefully on the sofa, "did you know he's a vampire?" At this point, the scoobies, Buffy included, started to giggle, which Lissa joined in with, then this escalated until they were all laughing, almost braying, the tension and relief flooding out of them, it took a while, but eventually it died down to an uncomfortable silence. "You want me to help a vampire?" Lissa was still trying to take this all in. Slowly, she stood up and walked over to the now fitfully sleeping vampire, and sitting next to him on the sofa, placed her hand on his brow and closed her eyes.  
  
  
  
Again the Scoobies heard her whispered words, but they were short-lived. Spike morphed into his demonic features and opened yellow eyes, looking straight into Lissa's violet ones. He sat up, quickly backing away on the couch, averting his gaze from hers. Buffy made to move forward, but was stopped by Lissa's raised hand. Slowly Lissa stood up and faced him, then began speaking to him in her own native tongue, elvish. The vampire growled back, almost snarling at her. Still Lissa made no move, softly speaking to him. To the Scoobies obvious amazement, Spike got up off of the sofa and knelt before her, head bowed. Again, they heard Lissa speaking clearly in the musical language. Giles was fascinated, watching the two ancient beings converse, realising that both needed no translator, they understood each other perfectly. The conversation went on for almost thirty minutes, culminating in the elf and the vampire sitting on opposite ends of the sofa. Eventually, Spike seemed to relax completely, purring loudly when Lissa gently reached out and stroked the side of his face.  
  
  
  
As she did this, his demonic visage faded and his face returned to human form. Puzzled, the Scoobies moved closer to see what would happen next.  
  
  
  
"You helped me? A lower being?" It was barely a whisper, Spike's eyes were fixed on Lissa, who nodded, "thank you." Lissa merely smiled at him.  
  
  
  
Gritting her teeth, she turned in her seat to face the others, "he will be better now, but there will be relapses until he can learn to cope with his soul."  
  
  
  
"His soul!," Buffy was astounded by this, "Spike has a soul now." Lissa nodded, and then tried to stand up from the sofa, with a cry she flopped back down, moaning and holding her side. A faint sheen of sweat on her face. Spike scrambled forward and pushed her hand away from her side, carefully peeling back the t-shirt and dressing to examine the now re-opened wound in her side. Tendrils of black poison had now spread over her lower abdomen and up her left side to disappear under her bra.  
  
  
  
"My turn to help, I think," he stated, looking back into her pain-filled eyes again, "I know this is killing you slowly, but it doesn't have to hurt so much!" He got up to the dining table, grabbing a pencil and paper, membling to himself "fresh would be better, wonder if the Watcher could go and look for some." He finished scribbling on the piece of paper and handed it to Willow. "I don't suppose for a minute you know a Hedge-Witch?" Willow, to the rest of the Scoobies' surprise, nodded dumbly. "Good, get her on the 'phone then and give her this list of stuff to get. Say it's urgent." Willow scanned the list,  
"I know some of these herbs Spike, most of them grow around here, or in the woods north of town." She hurried out towards the front door, grabbing her suede jacket.  
  
  
  
"I'll give you a ride," Xander stated, reaching for his jacket and keys, Willow smiled at him.  
  
  
  
Buffy bounded upstairs to get the first aid kit, and quickly brought it down, handing it to Spike this time, instead of Giles. Nodding his thanks, he carefully applied a new dressing, adding some antiseptic ointment to the gauze. Lissa winced as he strapped it in place with some tape.  
  
  
  
"You need to rest," he stated.   
  
  
  
"You know elves don't really sleep, Spike," Lissa stated matter of factly, "but I will zone out a bit today, but don't think I'll miss a trick!"   
  
  
  
"Do it then, please," he added as an afterthought, "my lady."  
  
  
  
Buffy raised her eyebrows at this, before dragging Spike to the other side of the room.  
  
  
  
"What's with the 'my lady' routine....and, a soul Spike?.... and she spoke to your demon.... he purred for her!" Spike put his finger to his lips and Buffy, sighing, allowed him to drag her upstairs, pulling her into the bathroom after checking there was no light coming through the blind. As gently as he could, he pushed her down on the toilet seat, perching opposite her on the edge of the bath.  
  
  
  
"She's a high elf, pet, they are almost like, well gods, to demons like us. Plus, she's got a few years on me," he started slowly.  
  
  
  
"What do you mean a few years, she looks about twenty five?" Buffy started, but Spike shushed her quickly.  
  
  
  
"I would guess her to be about, well, older than, definitely older than Angel, maybe oven older than Darla," he began again, "she's been around a long time. Seems to know more about my kind than even I do, you saw for yourself. How many people, Watchers even, would know that my demon would understand her native tongue? I doubt even Giles understands her language. And the demon? Well, I can tell you that he saw her for what she was straight away," Buffy nodded at this, remembering him kneeling at her feet, Spike continued,"and she sort of, well glowed when she spoke to me. Like an inner light." Buffy was thinking 'better read Lord of the Rings, and quick.' Spike continued, "I remember Darla speaking about elves, and I honestly thought she had gone batty. She told me that not many had remained after the majority of them left for their own lands, their own dimension. Darla was actually scared to death of ever coming across one, said no vampire ever had any chance of coming out of it alive, er, undead." Buffy was trying to take this all in.  
  
  
  
"So what are they, extinct, or soon to be. Lissa said she was the last," Buffy jumped at Spike's gasped "no!"  
  
  
"That's what she said. That wound, Spike, she said it was fatal, that she was dying," Spike nodded at her words, but his eyes were filling with unshed tears, and he quickly looked away so she couldn't see.  
  
  
  
"You have no idea of what she is, do you?" Spike stated, "better get in touch with your precious Angel then and find a bit more about them. He'll know, he said he actually met one once, before he got his soul back, came in looking terrified fron hunting one night. I laughed at him then." He left the rest unfinished, knowing that Buffy would fill in the gaps.  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
Next chapter should be up in a couple of weeks, keep sending me feedback, I love it! 


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